Improvement in adjustable watch-keys



LA. HARDY. ADJUSTABLE WATCH-KEY.

Patented Nov.y 21, 18776.

INVENTOR.

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TMI: QRAPHIC COMM UNITED STATES PATENT OEFIGEQ Vm'iAncIS A. HARDY, orAUBURNDALE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN ADJUSTABLE WATCH-KEYS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 184.615, dated November21, 1876; application led October 26, 1876. 1

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, FRANCIS A. HARDY, ofAuburndale, in the county ot' Middlesex and State ot' Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in W atch-Keys, ofwhich the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specitication:

My invention relates to that class of watchkeys which are adapted to titdii'erent sizes of watch-stems; and it consists in the use of a pair ofpivoted jaws, each having formed in its outer end the half ot' av squaresocket to embrace the watchstem, in combination with a spring foropening the socket end of said jaws, and a reciprocating wedge forclosing the same.

My invention further consists in the use, in combination, of a tubularcase; a pair ofjaws pivoted to said case near the middle of theirlength, and each having formed in the inner face of its outer end thehalt' ot' a square socket to embrace the watch-stem; a wedge placedbetween the inner ends of said jaws, and connected by a pin or otherwisewith a ring embracing the exteriorof the tubular case, and adapted to bemoved endwise thereon 5 a spring placed behind said wedge, and tendingto force it between` the inner arms ot' the jaws,A and, by forcing saidinner arms apart, cause the outer arms or the socket ends of said jawsto approach each other till they firmly embrace the watch-stem; and aspring applied or acting upon the inner ends of said pivoted jaws, tokeep them in contact with said wedge, and cause the socket ends of saidjaws to separate when the wedge is withdrawn by moving the exteriorringendwise on the tubular casing.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a plan, and Fig. 2 is an elevationbf myimproved Watch-key. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of thesame. Fig. 4 is a similar section, illustrating a modification ot' themanner of pivoting the jaws, and ot'applying the spring for opening thejaws. Figs. 5 and 6 are details ofthe spring for opening the jaws, asapplied in Fig. 2J

A is the tubular casing, closed at one end by the head B, and embracednear its middle by the swiveling suspension-ring C. D D are two jaws,arranged side by Side, and pivoted near the middle ot' their length tothe case A, in such a manner that the larger part of the outer arm ot'said jaws extends beyond the end ofthe casing, as shown. The exterior ofthe two jaws, when plu-ced together, are circular, and of such adiameter at the point wherethey are pivoted as tojust fill the casing,but are reduced toward their two ends, their contiguous faces being madeflat, and otl such a shape longitudinally that when the outer ends arein contact the inner ends will diverge, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. E isa wedge iirted to slide endwise within the casing A, with its pointbetween the inner arms ot' the jaws D D, and connected by means of thepiu a, which passes through slots-b in the case A to the ring F,encompassing the case A, and adapted to be moved endwise thereon to alimited extent, for the purpose of partially withdrawing the wedge Efrom between the inner arms of the jaws D, and allow the tension ot' thespring or springs c to draw said inner arms ofthe jaws D D toward eachother, and thus expand the socket d, one-half of which is formed in eachof said jaws. G is a spring placed within the casing A behind the wedgeE, and acting upon said wedge to force it between the inner arms ot' thejaws D D, and by forcing them apart cause the outer end thereof toapproach each other.

ln the moditication illustrated in Fig. 4, the jaws-D D are pivoted byasingle pin, e, which passes between them and lits into a semicirculargroove formed across the inner face of each of said jaws, the jaws justfilling the casing, so that when the pin is inserted the jaws cannot bewithdrawn 5 and instead of the circular spring, shown in Figs. 3, 5, and6, two leaf-springs, c, are used, said springs being secured at one endto the head B, or the casing A, and bearing at their other ends upon theinner ends ot' thejaws D D, as shown.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe UnitedStates, is;-

1. The combiliation of a tubular casing, a pair of jaws pivoted thereto,and each having formed in its outer end one-halt' of a square socket, aspring or springs adapted to force the inner ends of said jaws towardeach other, l

and a wedge adapted to be moved endwise Within said casing, and to forcethe inner ends ofsaid jaws outward, as and forthe purposes described.

2. The combination of the tube or casing A,`

pivoted jaws D D,` spring or springs o, wedge E, and the ring Econnectedto said Wedge byV the, pin a, all arranged and adapted to operate as andfor the purposes described.

3. The combination ofthe tubular case A, pivoted jaws D D, spring orsprings c, Wedge E, spring Gr, and ring F, oonnectedfto the wedge E bythe pin a passing through slots in the casing, all arranged vand adaptedto `operateas and for the purposes described.

Executed at Boston, Massachusetts, this 23d day of October, A. D. 1876.

FRANCIS A. vHARDY.

Witnesses: 4

N O. LOMBARD, E. A. HEMMENWAY.

